#timenebula

[thedalektables]

«The Doctor pressed the sonic’s button, calling for the TARDIS. “Looks like you’ve got your hands full with a mutiny,” said the Doctor, taking Rose’s hand. “We’ll just be on our way.”

“No!” screamed the Captain, her expression wild and frantic. Turning in a circle, she lunged for the closest laser gun, wrestling it away from a crew member's hand.

The familiar sound of the TARDIS materialising filled the bridge, momentarily stunning the pirates. The time ship surrounded the Doctor and Rose, encasing them. The Captain, fury clear in her face, aimed her weapon. She shot at them, once, twice, three times, before the other crew members took the gun away from her. Her shots had bounced off the TARDIS’ shielding, not even coming close to endangering either of them. The last image the Doctor saw of the pirates was Rob and Jen standing over a restrained and kneeling Captain.

Within the solid walls of his time ship, the Doctor skipped his way to the barely constructed console. A small beep came from one of the few parts assembled. The Doctor went to it, flipping on a few switches.

“Were you waiting for the Captain to do that or did you just want to show off?” asked Rose, coming up to the console.

“I had to make sure the pirates made it back to Solos,” said the Doctor, concentrating on the new, sparse controls of his ship. He glanced at Rose and saw her staring at the new TARDIS interior, her mouth hanging open slightly.

“‘S beautiful,” she said in a daze. “I didn’t know she could change her insides.”

“New TARDIS, new interior,” said the Doctor offhandedly. He’d only been mildly surprised when he first stepped into their new TARDIS and that was because she’d kept the basic coral look of the previous TARDIS. She’d only changed her colors and added a few new additions to the console room. Her walls were now a sparkling white, her floors glass, the leather jump seat was new and grey, and a replica of the stars and space floated above the dark blue console.

“Ready?” he asked Rose when she stood next to him.

“For what?”

“I’m going to answer the Solonians’ hail,” he said, standing before the basic com system on the console.

Rose smiled as she shook her head. “Then answer it.”»

- Star Hopping, by @time-nebula (Chap.16)

[thedalektables]

«“I think this is the only chance we’ll get,” said the Doctor, thinking back to their conversation with the Captain. Traveling to Gallifrey was vital, and not just for him.  “I need to get those items.” He stared at her, willing for her to understand how important it was that he deal with the echo.  “Rose, I need to --”

“I know, Doctor, you don’t have to say,” said Rose, cutting him off, “we’ll get them, you and me, yeah?” She gave him a small smile.

He cupped her face, grateful that she knew, that she did understand. She had been everything to him after the Time War. She eased the pain of having to do the unthinkable and here she was, ready to help him again regarding Gallifrey, without needing a word from him. “I love you.” Her eyes widened and turned glossy. Her mouth dropped slightly and her breath hitched. He held her face with both hands. “Back there, when we were almost on the menu for the Solonians, I hated the thought of dying and not saying it again.”

“That’s the second time you’ve told me,” said Rose in a dreamy tone.

“Third, but you didn’t hear it the first time,” corrected the Doctor.

She smiled, a gentle, sweet smile that seemed to chase all of his pain away. She bit her bottom lip and her expression transformed, her eyes shining mischievously. “Then I have some catching up to do.”

He beamed at her again, feeling the distance between them evaporate. That gave him the strength to keep going.»

- Star Hopping, by @time-nebula (Chap.12)

[thedalektables]

«“The coral’s glowing, is it supposed to do that?” asked Rose, coming closer to him to get a better look.

He kept his eyes on the coral, smiling at it. “They’re connected. TARDISes originate from my planet, growing in magnificent fields, and this little coral heard it, the echo. It’s acting like a receiver, picking up the leftover signals from Gallifrey, allowing the coral to flourish.” His smile dropped and he switched from holding it in his left hand to his right. “Hold on, you’ve been understanding everyone. You can’t read the languages but you can understand them verbally. You shouldn’t be able to do that, unless you speak Pyoo.”

Rose peered up at him. “I didn’t even know Pyoos existed until we got here,” she said. “You’re right though. I haven’t thought about it much, since with you, I’ve always been able to understand people.”

“It’s the TARDIS, she’s been translating languages for you. She’s still small and not very powerful, so that’s all she’s been able to do. It’s also probably why I was even able to pick up Gallifrey through telepathy. We’re about as far away from Gallifrey as you can get in the universe, like being in Alaska and hearing someone speaking from Australia.”

“We know the source of the echo, so what do we do now?”

He put the coral away, making sure to stash it somewhere safe within his bigger-on-the-inside pockets. “We need to go to the constellation of Kasterborous, to the binary star system that would normally hold Gallifrey, but here in this universe it should be empty space. That’s where we’ll find that footprint, whatever that will be. We find the footprint, we find the source of the echo.” He lifted his eyebrows. “We just need to convince the Captain to take a trip there.” He frowned, thinking about how hard that task might be. “That should be fun.”

“Then what?” asked Rose. “After we get there, then what do we do?”

He didn’t want to think about it. Swallowing, he stared at Rose and tried to wipe all emotion from his face. “I’ll have to destroy the footprint.”»

- Star Hopping, by @time-nebula (Chap.10)

[thedalektables]

«The Doctor took in a large breath, thinking about what else could be done for the good of the many. “Then can you at least clean up their lower atmosphere, to make sure the rich and the poor occupy the same space? Doesn’t seem right, does it, for the well off to be up here while the less fortunate suffer and die down below,” he said. “That should give them a decent head start, though it might cause them to butt a few heads. Probably be good for them.”

Belan stopped growing and looked down at the Doctor. “That is something we can do as we watch over Pyoo,” said the Solonian, sounding more otherworldly than before.

The Doctor frowned impressively, shrugging. “Looks like you’ve done everything for us,” said the Doctor. The only thing he could do now was let history take its course. He glanced at Rose then reached out to her, placing a hand on the small of her back. They turned to head back to the TARDIS.

They were at the doors of the TARDIS when the Doctor heard Belan speak again. “They’ll be alright,” said Belan knowingly. “They will both be alright.”

They turned and looked up at the glowing Solonian, who now smiled down to them.

“How do you mean?” asked Rose.

But the Doctor felt it in his heart. He knew what the Solonian meant. Since they left, both he and Rose had worried about them. Perhaps he had worried a little too much about one person in particular. “He’s talking about the other me and Donna,” he whispered.

“Doctor?” said Rose, looking at him with a perplexed expression.

The Doctor met her eyes. “The Solonians can predict the future -- but only to a degree, or they’d’ve known about the echo. Why do you think the Pyoo Seers got that particular ability?” The Pyoos had created their own self-fulfilling prophecy when they brought them here, to this room, that started their new life. Perhaps he had created one of his own self-fulfilling prophecies the moment he destroyed Gallifrey. “Let’s go home,” said the Doctor, opening the door to the TARDIS.»

- Star Hopping, by @time-nebula (Chap.16)

[thedalektables]

«“Doctor!” cried Rose as she watched Rassilon push the Doctor against a transparent wall.

Balling her fists, she waited, poised and ready to jump in and join the fight. The room flickered in and out, while the machine and the coral still shone unblinkingly with bright golden light. Rose tried not to pay what was happening around her any attention as the Doctor fought, keeping her focus on the man she loved.

The Doctor pulled at Rassilon’s arms, trying to pry his throat free from the maddened Time Lord’s grasp. Rassilon then slammed the Doctor into a machine, breaking glass and equipment. Rose, worried that the Doctor might be hurt, started to move forward.

“Rose,” the Doctor called, grunting as he freed himself. “Stay out of it!” The Doctor ducked as Rassilon took a swipe at his head. “Stay out of it!”

Frustration boiled up inside her. “You stupid wanker, I can help!”

“I know Venusian aikido,” yelled the Doctor. “I can --” But he was cut off by Rassilon grabbing his neck once again.

“Doctor!” yelled Rose.

“You will pay for ruining my plans again!” Rassilon spat out, trying to strangle the Doctor. “We could have escaped! We could have returned if it wasn’t for you!”

Rose made up her mind. She didn’t care what the Doctor said, she was going to help. The golden light grew in intensity, taking up half the room. Rose felt the rays touch her skin, warm and comforting. The light chased away all her concerns. She stopped doing whatever she had planned to do and looked towards the light. The light seemed familiar. As she stared, Rose could see the coral floating in the middle of the golden rays. It transformed before her eyes, growing in size and shape. She reached out for the coral.

“Rose! Don’t!” screamed the Doctor, trying again to pry his throat free from Rassilon.

“‘S nice, feels like I’m supposed to touch it,” said Rose, barely paying the Doctor any attention.

“No, don’t!” shouted the Doctor. “You touch it, you die!” His voice sounded panicked. “Rose!”

Rose ignored him. The golden light was too powerful to resist. As she walked closer, her hand outstretched, a blue swirling vortex began to grow from the coral.»

- Star Hopping, by @time-nebula (Chap.15)

[thedalektables]

«“I’m sorry,” whispered the Doctor.

[Rose] turned to him and saw that he stood, with his shoulders tense, near the door. “What for?” she asked, confused by his behavior.

“Do you have to ask?” he replied.

“You’re always apologizing Doctor. You don’t have to, not with me,” said Rose, shaking her head.

“Still, I feel like I owe you more than I can ever repay,” said the Doctor, taking a step closer.

She thought back to their discussion on Solos and what may have happened to Donna. She then remembered Satellite 5 and how he tricked her onto the TARDIS. “Then,” said Rose, knitting her eyebrows together, “don’t lie to me like that again, like you did on the beach, even if you think it’s for my own good.” She looked away, playing with her earring. “I’m not angry anymore, it just still hurts that you did.”

He didn’t reply. The quietness of the room felt unbearable. Rose looked at the Doctor and when she caught his sad eyes, he nodded. He looked completely miserable.

“I know why you did it,” said Rose, hoping to relieve him of some of that melancholy. “Still doesn’t make it any better.”

He swallowed. “No more lies,” he said. But he didn’t take his eyes off her and he didn’t move. “Rose?”

She stared at him, pausing for a moment to study him. He looked at her imploringly, though his eyes were soft. “Doctor?”

“I won’t leave you, ever again,” said the Doctor after another moment’s pause. He said those words like a vow. “I’ve been trying to tell you that for some time. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance until now.” He put his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels, looking rather uncomfortable. “And I know those are just words, but I thought you should hear it. I’ve made a habit of leaving in the past and it probably didn’t help that the other me left you on Bad Wolf Bay, but I have no intention of doing it again. Not while I’m human.”

Rose gazed at him, shocked at hearing those words. “You can’t promise that,” she said, thinking that nothing is ever certain. But what he said warmed her. She understood that he was trying to be better, for her. “You’re right though, it’s nice to hear it.”»

- Star Hopping, by @time-nebula (Chap.13)

[thedalektables]

«“I love you,” whispered Rose.

The Doctor raised his head to look at her and beamed, his eyes shining with joy. He rolled over, onto his back, taking her with him, keeping her in his arms. “Speaking of, I remember you saying something about me not being the love of your life?”

She tilted her head back to look at him and he gazed lovingly at her. “If you’re the love of my life, then what does that make me?” she asked, feeling slightly uncertain.

“The love of mine,” said the Doctor without hesitation.»

- Star Hopping, by @time-nebula (Chap.17)

[thedalektables]

«Rose leaned closer to him. “Doctor, why didn’t you tell me about the technology to travel anywhere in the universe before? Doesn’t that mean we could get home faster?” she asked, then shook her head. “I suppose that doesn’t matter, does it, when we’re so far out into the future.”

“The technology to travel anywhere in the universe is very, very advanced,” said the Doctor, keeping his voice low. “It’s so advanced only a few species have ever come close to inventing it, just like time travel. Essentially it’s the same thing, that’s why we have the phrase space-time.” He took a glance at Rose. She watched as the others climbed ahead of them, keeping her face forward. “If it wasn’t for the fact that we’re a few billion years in the future, it would have been a stroke of luck to stumble upon one of the species in this universe that had invented it.”

She leaned in closer. “If it’s so advanced, then it’s powerful, so why give it to them?” whispered Rose.

“Because it’s the only way,” he said before slipping his hand in hers, relishing the fact that he could talk to her through telepathy. “Really, Rose? I thought you knew better than that.” He smirked. “What’s a pirate without a few of their treasures booby-trapped?” He looked up for a moment, careless of the steps but still climbing perfectly. “I never understood that phrase, ‘booby trap’.” He scratched the back of his head. “Well, now that I think about it, obviously the term comes from the Spanish slang word bubie, which means dunce. And that is exactly what our Captain will feel like once I’m done with her.”»

- Star Hopping, by @time-nebula (Chap.10)